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In Conversation with Christian Picciolini (Virtual)

Breaking Hate: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism

Join Christian Picciolini and Nora Flanagan in conversation as they discuss Picciolini's latest book, Breaking Hate: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism as well as Flanagan's work with schools to counter white nationalist organizing. 

At a time when hate crimes in the U.S. have risen to the highest levels in more than a decade, Breaking Hate reveals why extremism has reached this point and how, as Americans, we can help those who were unwittingly lured into these violent movements disengage. From his perspective as a former white-supremacist, Picciolini urges compassion, empathy, and self-reflection on the path back to a civil democracy. At a community level, Flanagan has been working to combat extremist organizing in our schools so they remain a place where young people can become engaged citizens. 

Christian Picciolini is an award-winning television producer, a public speaker, author, peace advocate, and a former violent extremist. Christian chronicles his involvement and exit from the early American white-supremacist skinhead movement in his memoir, WHITE AMERICAN YOUTH. He now leads the Free Radicals Project, a global extremism prevention and disengagement network, and has helped over 300 individuals leave hate behind. He showcases his disengagement work in a second book, BREAKING HATE: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism, published in February 2020 by Hachette Books, as well as the MSNBC documentary series of the same name.

Nora Flanagan is a veteran high school English teacher in Chicago and has researched and organized against racism for decades. Efforts have included speaking to law enforcement and other government agencies, school administrations, community groups, and media outlets about the intersection of bigotry and youth culture. Nora is also a Senior Fellow with the Western States Center, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, working nationally to confront hate groups and strengthen inclusive democracy. She recently co-authored Confronting White Nationalism in Schools, a toolkit designed to help schools thoughtfully and effectively respond to incidents of racial hostility and proactively strengthen school communities.

Register for the program: Wednesday, January 13, 7pm

This event will be hosted on Zoom. The event is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Copies of the book are available at the library and through the Digital Library of Illinois or Libby app.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Breaking Hate, please support our local indie bookstore, The Book Stall and place and order through their website. Orders can be shipped, delivered locally or picked-up at the front door of the store. 

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